Powder blower with safety switch



July 24 1951 M. E. GRIFFIN 2,561,86@

POWDER BLOWER WITH SAFETY SWITCH Filed Aug. 10, 1949 2 Sheets-'Sheet l 24, 1951 M. E. GRIFFIN POWDER BLOWER WITH SAFETY SWITCH 2 She`e 'cs-Sheet 2 Filed Aug, l0, 1949 v Inventor Merk/'f E. A@riff/n 2 1 s w/WMLA'M:

Patented July 24, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PGWDERr BLOWER WITH SAFETY' SWITCH Mervil E.. Griffin, Dubuque, Iowa Application August 10, 1949; Serial No.. 109,516

y This. invention-Y relates to newy and useful. improvements. and, structural refinements in. air blowers. and the principal* obJ'ect of the invention is` to provide a device of the character' herein de,- scribed, such as may be conveniently and effecttivel'y employed byl barbers, or the like, for blow'- ingga current. of air, either hot or cold and with or without. powder, to. remove loose hair from the neck and face and. to dry the skin after moisture has been applied tov it The primary feature of the invention, therefore, resides inthe arrangement of the powder adniixing appara-tus., while another. feature liesv in the combination of thelower unit with selectively energi-zable air heating means.

Ain additional feature of the` invention resides in the` provision of an automatic switchy meansV for controlling the operation of the blower unit'.y

i Some of the advantagesr of the invention lie in its simplicity of construction, inthe convenience. of itsA use, and in its adaptabilityy to economical. manufacture- With the above more. important objects and features in view and such other objects and features; as may become apparent as this; specification proceeds, the; invention consists'. essentially in thearrangement and construction of parts as illustrated ink the accompanying drawings; in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of' the inven.- 3

tion;

Figure 2 is. a top plan vim thereof;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the powderadmixi'ng appairatus.y installed on theoutlet duct of the blower unit;

Figure 4' is a cross sectional View, taken. sub,- stantially in the plane of the line 4 4 in Figure 3;

Figure. 5 is a top plan View, partially broken, away, of the. filter and. heating element used in the'nvention.;

`Fgure 6` is` a cross-sectional.' View, taken substantially in the plane of the line 6 5 in Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view, similar to that shown in Figure 1 but illustrating the outlet duct and powder receptacle removed from the blower unit.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specication and throughoutthe several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of what may be referred to as a powder blower, this being designated generally by the reference character I and 3 Claims. (Cl. 222-193):

embodying' itsA construction a blower unit- I2 including a scroll housing i4 having an inlet port i ("see Figure. 5i) and; an outiet port or duct i8, the. housing W containing a. rotatable squirrel caga-*type blower wheel` mounted on the armature. shaft of. an electric motor 221.

A dome-shaped filter 24 of foraminous mate rial is.l mounted on the inlet port IiiV of the haus ing ht by means' of a suitable ann-ulus 2.6, th'L filter' 24s preferably consisting of spaced inner and outer walls 23, respectively' (see FiguresK 5l and 6); between which there; is provided al layer of dust' collecting materialr..

Moreover, itV is to be noted that an electric heating elfernent'- 34 of any conventional. type is mounted: within. the filter 214i adjacent the inlet port Hi, the operation ofi? this element being. con-- troliled hya suitailleswitch` 381.

oiutlet It' oi!A the housing M, on. they other hand, has connected theretoone end of a flexibley hosev (il, the remaining end which is connected toten outletduict- 42.", configura-ted' as is best shown in Figure 3 The duct 4.2' has. an. open outlet end, 4.4,. and it: is to be noted that an intermedi-- atie; portion of thecluct 4t2 is. provided on the outer surface. thereof with'. a screw-threaded cap: 48 adapted to removably receive a powder receptacierorcontainerfi. l

- An. scoop 50 is disposed inthe duct' 42; facing' tiref l'xosev 4.52 andi is.: provided' with a tubular extension whiclr. passes outwardly from theA duct and communicates with the bottom portion of thefreceptacle. 428,' as illustrated in Figure 3. Inl addition, an L-shaped powder outlet nozzle 54-ex 1 tends trom/the upper portion ot the: receptacle 48" into the duct 4:2, facing: outlet end 4l: of the! latter,- it being: noted' that the portion of thev nozzl'eft.- disposed the receptacle 48 is flaredi outwardly so: as tol'providea seatl 55 fora substantially frusto-conical closure member or valve 58 mounted upon a stem 60; I This stem, being slidable transversely through the duct 42, is pro` vided with a depressible actuating knob 62, while a compression spring 64 is positioned on the stem between the knob and the duct so as to urge the closure member 58 to its closed position, as will be clearly apparent.

It will be observed that when the blower unit I2 is in operation and a current of air is delivered through the tube and through the duct 42, as indicated at 66 in Figure 3, a certain amounty of air under pressure will enter the scoop and the receptacle 48, through the extension 52 of the scoop, thus agitating the powder in the receptacle and, assuming that the valve 58 is opened by depressing the knob 82, powder from the receptacle will be discharged through the nozzle 54 and admixed with the current of air passing through the duct 42. Needless to say, when the pressure on the knob 62 is relieved, the valve member 58 will automatically return to its closed position, so that only a stream of air may be discharged through the duct, that is, without mixing powder therewith, such as for example, for hair drying operations. On the other hand, when the valve actuating button 62 is depressed, the powder may be admixed with the air, for treating hair and scalp, etc.

If it is desired to deliver comparatively cool air through the duct, the switch 38 may be opened so that the heating element 34 is inactive, and by the same token, the switch 38 may be closed so as to energize the element 34 and heat the air passing into the intake port i6 of the blower, so that the air which is ultimately discharged through the open end 44 of the duct 42 is comparatively warm.

Automatic means may be provided for controlling the operation of the heating element 34 and of the blower actuating motor 22, these means consisting of a cup-shaped holder 68 which is mounted preferably at one side of the housing I4 and has an open outer end into which the receptacle 48 may be slid, as shown in Figure 2. What is generally known as an automatic momentary contact switch 10, including a springpressed actuating plunger or knob 12, is provided in the bottom of the holder 68 and is operatively connected with the motor 22 as well as with the switch 38 of the heating element 34 in such manner that when the knob or plunger 12 is depressed, the circuit is closed, and vice versa. Accordingly, as long as the invention is not in use and the receptacle 48 of the powder admixing apparatus is disposed in the holder 68, the switch is opened and the entire device is inactive. However, when the receptacle 48 is withdrawn from the holder 68, the switch 'l0 is closed and the blower motor 22 is automatically energized, this also applying to the heating element 36 providing, of course, that the manual switch 38 is also closed.

In the accompanying drawings, the reference character' 14 designates a wire connection from the switch 1U to the switch 38, while the reference character 16 similarly designates the electrical connection between the switch 10 and the motor 22. Finally, the reference character 18 indicates an attachment cord whereby the entire machine may be connected to a source of electric supply.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing disclosure, and accordingly further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a powder blower, the combination of a blower unit having an outlet port and including an electric motor, a flexible hose connected at one end thereof to said outlet port, an outlet duct at the free end of said hose, a powder receptacle mounted on said duct, means responsive to the passage of air through the duct for delivering powder from said receptacle into the duct, a holder for said receptacle provided on said blower unit, and a normally closed electric switch provided in said holder and connected to said motor, said switch being openable by the application of said receptacle to said holder.

2. In a powder blower, the combination of a blower unit having an outlet port and including an electric motor, a flexible hose connected at one end thereof to said outlet port, an outlet duct at the free end of said hose, a powder receptacle mounted on said duct, means responsive to the passage of air through the duct for delivering powder from said receptacle into the duct, said means including an air scoop positioned in the duct and having an extension communicating with the bottom portion of said receptacle, a powder outlet nozzle extending from the upper portion of said receptacle into said duct, a holder for said receptacle provided on said blower unit, and a normally closed electric switch provided in said holder and connected to said motor, said switch being openable by the application of said receptacle to said holder.

3. In a powder blower, the combination of a blower unit having an outlet port and including an electric motor, a iiexible hose connected at one end thereof to said outlet port, an outlet duct at the free end of said hose, a powder receptacle mounted on said duct, means responsive to the passage of air through the duct for delivering powder from said receptacle into the duct, said means including an air scoop positioned in the duct and having an extension communicating with the bottom portion of said receptacle, a powder outlet nozzle extending from the upper portion of said receptacle into said duct, a normally closed valve provided in said nozzle, a holder for said receptacle provided on said blower unit, and a normally closed electric switch provided in said holder and connected to said motor, said switch being openable by the application of said receptacle to said holder.

MERVIL E. GRIFFIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,687,545 Clements Oct. 16, 1928 1,911,367 Kitto May 30, 1933 1,998,776 Collins Apr. 23, 1935 

